Broken Vow
by reikamae
Summary: Chapter 2 Sequel to Cry Me a River- Now that Squall and Rinoa aren't together anymore, what will become of their relationship if it seems that Squall has moved on...? (Squinoa(?))
1. With his eyes

Well, here it is- the sequel to Cry Me A River called Broken Vow. It's a little OOCed, but it shouldn't be too much considering what the characters went though in the earlier story. I used Lara Fabian's song "Broken Vow"…(It might be a little tossed up and all) The usual disclaimer and all, you know the drill. Please read and review- tell me exactly what you think, okay?

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Broken Vow

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With his eyes…

It's been months since the tragic breakup of Squall Leonhart and Rinoa Heartilly. Many thought they would last forever and still held high hopes… others went on as if nothing had happened.

Squall had taken up the latter choice immediately after finding out the big secret that shattered his heart. It hadn't been easy to forget the one he had loved and all the memories that they had created together. In fact, to the present, Squall still had trouble ignoring the feelings he still had for Rinoa, which would always try to break through the cold shell that returned yet again to shield him. Nightmares would continuously awaken him in a cold sweat, while other, more enticing dreams would make him yearn with a growing hunger for Rinoa's loving touch and soft kisses.

Unbeknownst to Squall, Rinoa, too, was constantly acting. She also had haunting dreams and mixed feelings towards Squall because she knew she had done wrong and needed to move on. She had become so good at hiding how she felt that not even their closest friends could see even a glimpse of her real feelings. Actually, they were quite proud of her for dealing with the heart-crushing event so well. They knew so little…

"Rinoa, are you going to finish those?"

Rinoa came back to reality at the sound of Selphie's voice. Rinoa always had her mind away into a different world since then, but no one seemed to notice or bother to ask what she was thinking about. Except Selphie… "Squall…"

The eyebrows above Selphie's green eyes frowned with concern. "Squall? What about him?"

Realizing what she had just said, Rinoa quickly responded, seemingly unfazed, "What do you mean, 'Squall'? I said nothing. I only… sighed."

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She's trying to act like it's nothing… Selphie could also have imagined Rinoa saying that because, of course, she wanted Squall and Rinoa back together more than anything so maybe her mind was thinking other than reality. "Sorry… it must be just me." She nodded towards the plate of food in the middle of them. "You still hungry?"

Smiling, Rinoa politely shook her head. "No." Before standing, she added, "I have to stop by the library and pick up a book, so I'll see you at the meeting later, ok?" There was to be a meeting for the Garden Festival happening later this month in one of the classrooms. Selphie was the head of it again and Rinoa had offered to volunteer in the planning and set up.

"Alright."

Rinoa left Selphie in the cafeteria and decided to take a quick walk outside for a breath of fresh air. Once outside she leaned against the side rail of the walkway and closed her eyes, letting the warm rays of the mid-day sun warm her fair-skinned face. Instantly her pounding headache softened and all her stiff muscles gradually loosened. She had endured the pains, caused from a restless sleep the night before, throughout her busy day. It felt good to take a relaxing break.

*_ I close my eyes… *_

It was dark… no, pitch black. Along with the darkness came the chill… it came in swells and got deep down into her bones. Rinoa involuntarily shivered. She rubbed her arms briskly in a mere attempt to create some warmth. Looking around she saw nothing. Just the same silent color all around her…

Where am I?

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* When I'm all alone… *

Her words echoed in her mind… soon becoming a meaningless mumble. Why? Why was she always so…alone… in her thoughts?

The sudden sound of footsteps aroused her senses. She tensed in fear, not knowing what to expect. Rinoa frantically looked around, trying to locate what had broken the silence… but everything looked the same. Suddenly a figure appeared, emerging slowly from the sheet of darkness. Rinoa squinted trying to cure the distortion of the figure, but it only worsened. From the looks of it, the body looked to be that of a young man… She couldn't tell how old he was because she could only see from his torso, down.

Rinoa cautiously stood up and walked towards him. With every stop closer towards him, the more unclear his image became.

… Who is he?

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Rinoa raised her arm and stretched out to touch him… to see if he was real… but just as her fingers almost brushed against him, his face appeared- startling her. Just like the rest of the body, his head was blurry except for his eyes…

The chill that ran through Rinoa intensified as she locked her gaze into his.

Those eyes… Squall…?

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The cold blue of his eyes hardened with each word she spoke. Why couldn't Rinoa see the rest of him more clearly? Without looking away she continued to reach for him, to feel his warm, familiar touch once again…

"Rinoa?"

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* And dream of you and I and then I realize… *

Rinoa blinked, realizing she had been remembering the reoccurring dream that had kept her awake countless nights before. She turned around to face the speaker. It was Zell, Squall's best friend. "Oh… hi."

Rinoa forced a small grin as she gathered her things from the nearby bench next to him. Ever since the 'incident' with Zell, she had always felt awkward around him no matter how much she told herself it was all right. But it, of course, was a lie.

Zell felt her tense. "Uh, I'm sorry, Rinoa… I just wanted to say hi-"

"No." Carefully, she willed herself to put her hand on his shoulder. "I'm fine. Really."

The blonde smiled in admiration. He knew how hard she was trying. And besides, it wasn't that much easier for him, either. Just knowing he was part of the reason for Squall and Rinoa's broken hearts pained him immensely.

"So, where were you heading?" Rinoa asked, nodding for the both of them to start walking towards the inner gate of the Garden.

"Oh, just to the cafeteria." Zell grinned sheepishly and continued, "I have a massive craving for some hot dogs right now."

Rinoa laughed, her light sing-songy voice creating a warmer atmosphere. Zell always knew how to make her laugh. She felt better now- usually she felt uneasy around him all the time, but lately he had found ways to break that. Thanks to Zell, Rinoa was becoming good friends with him once again. More than anything she just wanted everything to be like it was before…

"Oh, I see. I was just going to the library to pick up a book."

They split paths once they got to the elevator; Zell to the left, Rinoa to the right. "I'll talk to you later, Rinoa. Nice seeing you!"

"Yeah." She still had a smile on her face from earlier. That was just what she needed to make her day better- a smile. "Oh, and thanks."

Zell turned back around, a boyish look on his face. "For what?"

Only she knew. _For the smile._ "Nevermind."

He just shrugged and walked on. _I'll never be able to understand women…_

Now that she was in a good mood, Rinoa thought nothing could ruin that. But, of course, she spoke too soon. Just as she rounded to corner before the entrance to the library, she saw him.

Squall was casually leaning against a support column of the covered walkway that led to the library doors. It looked like he was waiting for someone. Rinoa decided to wait behind the corner, in the safe coverage of the decorative shrubbery, in order to avoid the unwanted encounter with Squall.

It seemed like 15 minutes passed before Rinoa noticed Squall stir from his position. He straightened up and stood as a girl walked through the door. _So he _was_ waiting for someone._ Rinoa wondered who his lady friend was- she couldn't see her face and could only tell it was a girl because of the Garden uniform.

With Squall's attention now averted, Rinoa thought to just go about her business and pretend she did not see him. After gathering some courage she left her hiding place and started walking. Thankfully Squall's back was facing her- meaning less time for him to notice her. She stepped onto the walkway but stopped suddenly at the sound of his voice. Rinoa didn't know exactly _why_ she had stopped, but now her bravery had vanished. Rinoa silently scolded herself, "Damn. I'll just wait here until they pass." She turned and leaned over the guardrail, pretending to watch the people enter and exit the training center.

"Oh Squall, you waited for me! You're such a sweetheart!" Out of the corner of Rinoa's eye she could see the girl reach over and pat Squall's cheek. Rinoa tried to see her face, but even with her peripheral vision she couldn't see. Squall's head was in the way.

She was going to turn her head and get a better look when Squall laughed and said, "Whatever. I'll see you at the Festival, then?"

She froze in mid-turn and shut her eyes in disbelief. _So much for the good mood…_

A/N: So what did you think? Should I post up the rest of what I've got? Please review!


	2. I want to see

So, chapter 2 has now arrived! It's not as long as the last chapter but it still carries the plot… again all the disclaimer rights and such. Slight OOCness if you didn't remember! R&R!

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Broken Vow

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I want to see

Squall wearily shuffled through the door of his dormitory and headed to his bed, not even bothering to flip on the light switch. It had been a long day- with classes and meetings and hardly anytime to just sit and relax. After shrugging off his jacket and opening the window just a crack he lay down on the mattress and closed his eyes. He just let the cool night air caress his warm skin. 

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The Festival… a week 'till then… Should I really go with Xenia…? Squall had been debating the subject for quite some time now. Everyone around him wanted for him to go with the black-haired beauty, but something inside him was stopping him and it bothered Squall because he couldn't figure out what it was.

A muffled voice beckoning Squall to open the door forced him to put aside his thoughts. "Come in."

"Hey buddy, what have you been up to?" Zell closed the door then went to the window to close it. "Damn, Squall, it's like Trabia in here. What are you trying to do, catch something?"

Squall half-laughed. "Heh. Just thinking." Slowly he opened his eyes and reached for the lamp on his desk. Light filled the chilly room as Squall rubbed his tired eyes.

"Oh, I see." Zell quickly looked for a place to sit and just decided to lean against the wall. "About what?"

"Xenia, actually…" His voice trailed off as the thoughts again entered his mind. _I don't think I've moved on from Rinoa yet…_

The spiky-haired blonde nodded almost as if he knew what Squall had been thinking of. "Yeah, she's something, isn't she?" 

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Something… but not… Rinoa. "Actually, Zell, do you think I could just talk to you tomorrow? I'm a little tired…"

Zell realized something was up but thought to let Squall work it out first before confronting him about it. "Sure thing. See ya tomorrow."

"Tomorrow." He let Zell walk himself out then quickly undressed and fell asleep.

"Rinoa, I'll be expecting you bright and early tomorrow for the Festival set up! Be there…" Selphie's voice trailed off as she turned the corner of the hall, leaving Rinoa to walk to her last class by herself. It was barely afternoon and Rinoa was feeling good. Surprisingly she had gotten a full night's rest last night with no haunting nightmares or tossing and turning. _Maybe seeing him again has a good effect…_ Whatever it was, it was doing good for her.

Irvine walked out of the Training center and expertly placed his wide-brimmed hat atop his head. With a tip of his hat he confronted Rinoa. "Hey there. It's nice to see you up and about and all cheery-like."

Rinoa laughed and said, "Yeah, it's nice to see you too."

"Will I be seeing you at tomorrow's festivities?"

"Yes. I'll also be helping out in the morning." She quickly glanced at the clock to see if she still had enough time to get to class. "Save a dance for me, will you? Only if Selphie agrees…"

Now it was Irvine's turn to laugh. "No problem. That I can do. See you later!" Irvine hugged Rinoa briefly before walking towards the cafeteria.

A quick ride in the elevator brought her to her classroom with time to spare. She decided to just walk out into the hall to maybe catch one of her friends but instead she saw Squall and that girl he was talking to the day before. Cautiously Rinoa walked a little closer to them so that she could see what she looked like. She had long black hair that flowed down to her waist and she was almost as tall as Squall was. They were talking hurriedly… or at least she was. It looked like Squall was just there to listen. 

*_ Remembering when I was your own…*_

Just as it looked like the conversation was going to end Squall lifted his hand a carefully stroked her cheek and whispered something into her ear. Rinoa suddenly yearned for his gentle touch… his strong arms that wrapped around her shoulders… his soft kisses that made everything just disappear. But also the deep feeling in her chest meant something different- could she be jealous…?

* _Tell me her name…*_

Not wanting to stay any longer she turned around but not fast enough because she heard Squall call out to her one last time, "Later, Xenia!"

A/N: Well? Yeah, it wasn't much of a cliffhanger per-say, but let me know if you still want to read it! I got lots more planned…


	3. I need encouragement

Chapter three! Sorry it took so long. Haha… I actually forgot I had already written this. o_O;; What can you do… Hopefully chapter four will be done soon. Thanks to those who are reading this and reviewing! Oh, Magic Anime Goddess- Seifer's coming… you'll see. He doesn't really show up too much in this story, but he plays an important part. I hope you like!

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Broken Vow

I need encouragement

It was the morning of the Festival and a beautiful cloudless sky promised cool evening weather. Many students from the Garden were busy setting up for the festivities, some had been up bright and early to start the numerous things that needed to be done. One of those people was Selphie.

"No, that goes over here… Xu, could you move that over a few… yeah. Thanks." Although it was barely noontime, Selphie looked like she had gone through a whole day's worth of stress. Her exhaustion showed in every way, yet she still managed to keep calm and cheery.

Rinoa had been helping set-up too. Since she had already finished what Selphie had told her to do earlier, she headed back over to Selphie to see what else she could do. 

"Selphie! Where do you want these?" Selphie spun around to look at the box full of tickets that someone was holding. After a second of thought she pointed in the direction where Rinoa was walking from then hurriedly shooed him off.

"There you are! I've been looking all over for you! I don't exactly know why you would want to go through all this stress all over again-"

Selphie laughed. "I don't know why either. But surprisingly, I feel fine!" She looked behind Rinoa at the calm blue sea water and smiled. "It was a great idea to have the Festival on the beach this year, huh?"

Rinoa nodded. "Yeah. It's great. I love the beach- it's so calming… So anyway, anything else that I need to do?"

Selphie thought for a moment then reached down beside her and handed Rinoa a box. "Take these over to Squall, please. He should know what to do."

At the moment she heard Squall's name she froze. Selphie noticed and said, "You need to talk to him someday. That time just happens to be now." then she turned to address another waiting students, leaving Rinoa to herself.

Rinoa wrinkled her nose in disgust. _Great. Just great._

Zell had offered his free morning to help his good friend. He had also dragged Squall along with him.

"Zell, you know I didn't get that much sleep last night…" Squall's eyes were still adjusting to the bright morning light. He rubbed them, tiredly, and stifled a yawn.

"C'mon, it's the least we could do for Selphie, yeah? You know how much work she puts into this." The blonde patted his best friend on the back and started to steer him towards Selphie so they could receive their first task, but he stopped abruptly. "Hey buddy, look over there."

Squall had no time for these little games of his. For all he cared, he could be still sleeping. In fact, after a restless night of tossing and turning, he could use just another hour… _This better be something important… _Slowly, he turned around to see what exactly Zell wanted him to look at. Instantly Squall forgot how tired he was at the sight of Rinoa. She was talking to Selphie about something… He wanted to know what about, to just hear her voice gain… to feel her body in his arms. "…No. This is not what I need right now." Quickly he turned back around to face Zell.

Zell frowned. He knew exactly what Squall needed to be himself again. And that just so happened to be the only thing he was pushing away. "Look. Just go over there and talk to her…" He drifted off slowly, knowing he had made his point clear. Now, looking over Squall's shoulder, he could see Rinoa walking towards them with a box in her arms. He decided this was a good time to bail. "Uh, I'll catch up with you in a minute. I gotta check something out…"

Squall shrugged at the sudden subject change but brushed it off. But now that Zell was gone he could turn back around and see what Rinoa was up to. When he did he didn't expect to be face to face with her. "Whoa. Um… sorry… about that."

Rinoa still hadn't made eye contact with him yet. Already she could feel her face flush. But she knew she had to talk to him eventually… Gradually she lifted her head and finally locked eyes with Squall. "I-its okay, really."

For a few seconds all they did was look at each other until finally Squall spoke up, "So… you're helping out too?"

"Yeah. Uh, Selphie told me to… give these to you…" 

Clearly Squall could tell that just talking to her was making her uncomfortable. And it bothered him greatly. He didn't want it to be like this. Shrugging, he replied, "I… I don't exactly know what to do with these…"

Normally Rinoa would have laughed at his behavior, but she couldn't. It just wasn't the same between them anymore… "She… she said that you would…uh, know what to do." _God… why is this so difficult?_

"Whatever." Not knowing what else to do, he took the box from her and suggested that they go set the contents along the edge of the stage. Rinoa agreed knowing that she would have to get used to his company sometime anyway. "So, how have you been?"

Rinoa couldn't believe she was actually doing this. _Might as well be honest…_ "I've been better. You?"

Her straight-out honesty took him aback. _She's hiding…_ "Rinoa, what's wrong? This isn't like you-"

"Nice of you to finally notice."

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Ouch. "Rin…"

Rinoa stopped what she was doing and stared at him square in the face, eyes flashing. "It's Rinoa, if you don't mind. Besides, you're the one that's been avoiding me-"

"I believe that would be your fault-"

"How dare you tell me what is my fault and what isn't! I would know-"

"Hey Squall!" Xenia bounced over into their conversation quickly cutting off the words coming out of Rinoa's mouth.

Thankful for the quick interruption, Squall took full advantage of the situation. "Yes, Xenia? How are you…?" He made a quick 'in your face' glance at Rinoa who in turn glared at him.

"Well, I was just wondering what are you wearing tonight so that I can accommodate. So…?" Her hazel eyes were a soft gray, reflecting the sunlight of the morning… making Rinoa cringe at her sweet appearance.

Rinoa didn't stay for anymore. Setting down the box she left with a quick polite nod to Xenia. Absently she wiped away at the tears streaming down her face. _Why can't we even get along anymore?_ She took one last look behind her shoulder at the couple talking together and caught a glimpse of Squall's face… somehow she missed the hurt look that clearly showed.

A/N: You know the drill…


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